I Shmuel 17: A Metaphor is Born

David defeats Goliath. The weak defeats the strong. The upstart team that defeats the number one seed. The ragtag army that defeats a superpower. The story of chapter 17 is one of the most retold, repackaged, repurposed stories in Tanach. It is no surprise that this encounter has been depicted many times in famous works of art. The upstart Goliath is often depicted as a giant man, with heavy armor, and a large spear or sword. David is a young child with only a tunic or fabric cloths on him. An example of artwork that depicts the scene later in the story is Caravaggio’s David and Goliath. Caravaggio depicts the aftermath of the battle. This painting shows a youthful David leaning over the defeated Goliath. Goliath is missing his helmet, and has the mark of the stone wound on his forehead. David seems to be using his slingshot to sever Goliath’s head. Notice how Caravaggio flips the script on size. Goliath, the menacing giant is laying on the ground with most of his body hidden by shadow. David looms large over him, kneeling on his back. David is also almost entirely bathed in light symbolic of God shining his light on David. Goliath is disappearing into the dark shadows whence he came. David also is using the string from his slingshot to sever Goliath’s head. This is different from the text. “David ran up and stood over the Philistine, grasped his sword and pulled it from its sheath; and with it he dispatched him and cut off his head” (verse 51). Why would Caravaggio change this fact of the story? Perhaps he was trying to emphasize the victory of David over Goliath with a simple string. Other painting depict David in a strong stance standing over Goliath holding Goliath’s sword. Those images make David look menacing and strong. Caravaggio’s David is still the simple shepherd’s boy who has to work with a rope to cut off Goliath’s head. We do not get to see David’s expression. It looks like he is focused on the task. Goliath’s face is frozen in surprise. These expressions match the battle before. David unafraid and focused on defending God, and Goliath in shock that a shepherd’s boy could defeat him.